G'day,
Just got the car back the other day from the "beauty salon" (read smash repairers) every panel except the roof and front 2 doors was re painted. It looks like they have done some sort of polishing with a buffer machine (I can see that evidence).

What would be the best thing for me to do now to keep the paint in good condition???? Give it a good going over with the wax????

Also is it advisable to wax the bumpers??? I get a lot of bugs with the country driving I do and it would be good to remove them more effectively.

Cheers!

With bugs on the front of the car i just wet some paper towel and cover my front bar. leave it for about 30 minutes then peel them off and the bugs come off with it!

Rob, if they have used a decent technique and good products, best thing you can do is invest in some decent products yourself. Www.carcareproducts.com.au is a good place to start. They have a great range of products and good service. Get yourself a dual action orbital buffer (meguiars do a great DA for $200) and something like swissvax wax and a few applicator pads. You will never have to worry about bug splatter ever again

Doesn't fresh paint need some time to settle in before you attack it with orbital buffer or wax?

Absolutely max. I wouldnt be touching it for a while. It will still be "soft" so to speak

What happened Rob? Everyone ok?

It looks like they have done some sort of polishing with a buffer machine (I can see that evidence)
If you can see 'buffer trails' in the paint, I would be returning to the panel beaters and asking them to fix it for you. It is completely avoidable, and comes down to improper workmanship. And unless you're willing to invest in your home detailing setup, it's not something you can rectify yourself either.


What would be the best thing for me to do now to keep the paint in good condition???? Give it a good going over with the wax????
In my opinion, the best thing you could do is to wash your car properly. A good washing technique will minimise the amount of swirls and scratches you inflict on the paint, which will keep it looking at its best for as long as possible. While a good polish and wax will keep it looking shiny (provided you're parked in the shade), it's wasted if your car isn't washed properly.

For starters, wash your car yourself. No car wash cafes, and no DIY or automated car washes (eg Car Lovers). Use a good quality mitten and a good detergent. I use and would recommend Meguiars Lambswool mitten and Meguiars Gold Class wash, but everyone has their own pet products.

Use two buckets, especially if your car is dirty. Fill your first bucket with detergent, and fill the other with water. Make sure to rinse your mitten after every panel (more if your car is particularly dirty) - ring it out into the second bucket, then dunk it back into the detergent of the first one.

Leave the wheels and tyres to the end, and use a different mitten or brush.

Chamois the car with a good chamois or similar. Microfibre drying towels are all the rage these days but I can't stand them. If not, invest in a good quality chamois. Give the car a final rinse by running a small amount of water from the hose without an attachment over the car - you'll find a lot of the water will run off, leaving you with less to dry.


Also is it advisable to wax the bumpers??? I get a lot of bugs with the country driving I do and it would be good to remove them more effectively.

I would definitely recommend waxing your bumpers regularly. I keep my car reasonably well detailed and I find that most bugs will come off with the hose. I would suggest waxing your bumper more regularly for ease of washing if you do a lot of country/night driving.

If you have the time, my suggestion would be to polish the paint with Poorboys Black Hole Glaze (http://www.waxit.com.au/proddetail.asp?prod=PB0025&cat=60) every 6 months, and 'wax' with EX-P (http://www.waxit.com.au/proddetail.asp?prod=PB0028&cat=7) or Natty Blue (http://www.waxit.com.au/proddetail.asp?prod=PB0003B&cat=4) every 3 months.

If bugs are an issue, you can also get a bug sponge by Kenco from Autobarn - it's a sponge with loose netting around it, which makes it easier to get off stubborn bugs.

Chamois' are satan, especially for dark metallics like robs. Waffle weave cloth FTW

Thank you all for your replies!!!! I will wait a month or so before doing anything. But I will invest in some good products that you have recommended. A clean slate to work from is alway good.


Pete, All good I had a little accident at home, very very tired late at night, backing car out of garage, thought i was on brake......... hello neighbours garage door, then into neutral opps drive into my garage, foot was on accelerator. Had a wonderful week at work that week, retrenching 14 people and little princess getting the 2nd round of teeth.

The car is going back to the "salon" have a number of issues that need retifiying....... water in spare wheel well, no air con (oh it "was" regassed me no think so), no painted fog light surounds, overspray / swirl marks etc etc etc

Thanks again!!

O shit thats no good...